Buckle or fastening device for straps, bands, and the like.



. A. e. FRANCE. BUCKLE 0R FASTENING DEVICE FORSTRAPS, BANDS, AND THELIKE.

APPLlCATION FILED JUNE 27. I911- Patented July 30, 1918.

Invenfo 0A ylh-VT Graha'mT-fanw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR GRAHAM FRANCE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

BUCKLE OB FASTENING DEVICE FOR STRAPS, BANDS, AND THE LIKE Applicationfiled June 27, 1917. Serial No. 177,417.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR GRAHAM FRANCE, subject of the King of Great.

Britain, residing at 64 Chancery Lane, London, W. C., England, engineer,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckles orFastening Devices for Straps, Bands, and the like, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention comprises improvements in buckles or fastening devicesfor straps, bands, and the like and refers to the type of buckle orfastening device in which the grip or fastening is obtained by drawingplain or slightly serrated members which may be plates or frames'slidingor hinging on one another into binding or pinching engagement with thematerial of the strap band or the like. In these types of frictionalengagement buckles or fastening devices the adjustment may be muchfiner, as the buckle has not to follow a step by step engagement as inthe hole and tongue buckle, and further the operation of fastening orunfastening the buckle or of adjusting the tension of the strap orbandis much more easily accomplished than in the tongue buckle or in thetoothed buckle for engaging a plain band.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction ofthis type of fastening ver simplest possible character (it may consistof two parts only) and which in use may serve either as a single buckleor double buckle; that is attached to one strap forengaging a free endofsame or another strap or for engaging two free strap ends respectively.I V

The device comprises two substantially similar frames, for examplerectangular-in shape, which are loosely linked or connected together sothat each may hinge upon the other and while perfect freedom for hingingor sliding with respect to each. other is permitted the frames cannot beentirely disconnected. 'One side bar of each frame overlies the end orconnecting bars of the other and the frames as seen in edge View arethus crossed and the two side bars spoken of as overlying the end barsform the inner bars of the buckle and the other two side bars, one ofeach frame, form the outer bars.

If the material of the belt, band, or the like to be fastened isinserted under an outer side bar over and around the adjacent inner easyto manufacture, of the one and back under the outer bar when tension isput upon the belt band, etc., the

material is firmly gripped. As there are two inner bars and two outerbars two ends of a band, etc. ,.may be secured in thisway so that bothends are. adjustable, so that the device serves as a double buckle; butif desired one outer bar and the adjacent inner bar may have thematerial looped around them both and then stitched, or otherwisesecured, and the other two bars maythen be used in the same manner asbefore for fasteningthe other free end of the band or the, like, thedevice-thus serving as a Single buckle.

On the drawings I Figure 1 is a front view of the improved buckledevice.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing thedevice in use as a double buckle. V

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the device in use as a single buckle.

Fig. 4 is an edge. view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-section on line 5- 5 of Fig. 2. r

Fig. 6 is an edge view of a'buckle slightly modified in the shaping ofthe frames.

Fig. 7 is a perspectiveview of the one frame drawn slightly larger.

Fig. 8 is a similar view of the other frame. r

The deviceconsists of two frames a, I),

tance from the ends of the side bars so that the ends of the side barsproject slightly as at b or the connecting bars may be disposed at theends of, said side bars but] curved or formed with projections or hornsto give the same effect. I

The frame I) with the projections or horns Z2 is in the process ofmanufacture flexed slightly to permit the passage of one of its sidebars through the other frame 0. and it is then straightened so that. theonev Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 30; 1918.. 1

frame remains loose within the other, being f prevented from removal bythe horns or pro- Any method ofymanufacture .1

determined by the width of strap or band to be accommodated and thewidth by the thickness of the material for which the buckle is intendedto be used sufficient allowance of space being made to permit ease ofworking or threading the material through the frames.

In edge view each frame is very slightly curved in both directions likea flat ogee or 3, curve, see Fig. 4., and when the two frames areassembled these curves, as seen in edge view, cross each other and theside bar a of the raised end of the curve of one frame rests on thedepressed part of the curve of the other frame.

By this arrangement the two frames nest closely together as will be seenfrom Fig. t and one side bar of each frame forms an inner bar of thecomplete device and by the nature of the curved surfaces if any strainor pressure is put on the two inner bars a 5 of the assembled frames a,b, they tend to ride down the curved end bars and wedge tightly down onto the outer bars al If, of the assembled frames. A band or strap 0 ispassed up the center and over an innerbar and down under the outer bar.If the device is to be used as a single buckle this strap or band 0 issewn or otherwise secured in this condition and the free end 0 of thestrap, or another strap, which is to be fastened is similarly passed upthe center over the other inner bar and down under the correspondingouter bar, see Fig. 3. For use as a double buckle the bands, or freeends of one band, are threaded through in the same manner as the freeend 0 in the case of the single buckle and the stitching or sewing ofone end is omitted, see Figs. 2 and 5.

The free ends of the strap or straps which have been thus threadedthrough the buckle may be pulled readily through the buckle in thedirection of the arrow 0 Fig. 5 to adjust the strap, but any pullreturning or withdrawing the under part of same tightens the buckle andthe band is most securely gripped. The more. strain put upon the bandtending to withdraw the strap the tighter are the two frame bars drawntogether and the more gripping power set up.

The two frames are simple single piece structures and in theirassembling no loose or additional attachment or hinged parts arerequired. Ease and cheapness of manufacture therefore form a leadingcharacteristic of'the invention. Further the frames when assembled forma particularly compact and neat buckle device which has no projectingparts causing discomfort, but is substantially flat.

It may be desirable to depress or notch each frame end bar where it isoverlain by the side bar of the other frame in the closed position asshown at d Figs. 7 and 8, and if desired the complementary parts of theside bar a and the horns 6* on the bar 6 respectively may be similarlydepressed or notched to facilitate the nesting together of the frames,as shown at (Z Instead of the ogee or S curving of the frames they mayfollow simple hollow curves as shown at Fig. (3, and in this respect myinvention is not restricted to curving the frames.

I claim I 1. Improved buckle or fastening device comprising two simplerectangular frames connected one within and across the other so thateach may hinge and slide upon the other, each frame having two parallel,but separated side bars and two connecting end. bars between saidparallel side bars, said connecting end bars of one frame, which is theinner frame, being spaced slightly closer together than thecorresponding bars of the other frame and said end bars of said innerframe having a projecting horn at each end thereof, said frame with thehorned end bars being passed into the other frame, said horns at theends of each end bar of the inner frame serving to link the two framestogether.

2. Improved buckle or fastening devices comprising two simplerectangular frames each having two parallel but separated side bars andtwo connecting end bars between said parallel bars, said connecting endbars of one frame which is the inner frame, being spaced slightly closertogether than the corresponding bars of the other frame so that the saidframe, which is the inner frame, may be passed into and across the otherframe, said arrangement of the end bars of said inner frame leaving theside bars of said frame projecting beyond said end bars to formanchoring horns at each end of said end bars to prevent completeseparationof said frames fro-m one another.

Improved buckle or fastening devices comprising two simple rectangularframes each having two parallel but separated side bars and twoconnecting end bars between said parallel bars, said connecting end barsof one frame being spaced slightly closer together than thecorresponding bars of the other frame so that this said frame may bepassed into and across the other frame, with anchoring projections andhorns at each end of the end bars of said inner frame to preventcompletc separation of the frames and with the component parts of thesaid frames complementarily cu ved where they engaged each other so thatthey may lie snugly together.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ARTHUR GRAHAM FRANCE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

